Development

Over the last two decades, along with globalization has come tremendous economic progress. Still, inequalities between countries (notably the least developed countries) and within each country have increased and new factors of crisis and tensions have appeared. The potential benefits of globalization are hampered by a deficit of governance and collective actions.

In this context, France policy of development cooperation has four transversal objectives : sustainable and shared growth ; fight against poverty and inequalities ; preservation of global public goods ; stability and the rule of law. These priorities fall within the framework of objectives set out by the international community, and especially the Millenium Development Goals, drawn from the Millennium Declaration adopted in 2000.
In the pursuit of these goals, France has defined food safety, water, health, education and energy as the main guidelines for its action.

France is thus deeply committed to defining the future Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the aim to place them at the core of the up-coming consensus on the post-2015 agenda. Its action to reshape models of development holds also in the follow up of the funds and programs’ operational activities (UNDP, UNPFA, UNICEF, UN Women and UNOPS which will put activities that are benefiting the most from globalization to contribute to the financing for development.

France also takes into account the profound and rapid changes that have reshaped the context in which its policy of cooperation unfolds, stressing the need to define rules that are more collective and to build renewed relationships with the major emerging countries. These changes must be accompanied by new forms of partnership. France promotes this goal within the United Nations and, in a complementary way, within the G20 and the OECD with the view to enhance the effectiveness of aid (under the global partnership for an effective development cooperation).